Anti-theft device

ABSTRACT

An anti-theft device comprising a container formed by a box ( 10 ) and a lid ( 11 ) hinged together. A lock slide ( 15 ) inside the box can be displaced between a disengaged position and an engaged position. A flange ( 22 ) on the lid forms an L-shaped slot. A first limb ( 23 A) of the slot is perpendicular to a free edge of the flange and opens in the edge to receive a projection on the lock slide in the disengaged position thereof. A second limb ( 23 B) of the slot extends transversely of the first limb to receive the projection when the lock slide is in the engaged position. A latch mechanism ( 26, 28 ) latching the lock slide in the engaged position can be actuated by a special tool to unlatch the lock slide and allow displacement thereof to the disengaged position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an anti-theft device for displayingparticularly expensive and attractive goods in shops and departmentstores, of the kind comprising a container formed by a first part and asecond part hinged together, a lock slide inside said first part, whichincludes at least one projection and can be displaced manually betweenan engaged position in which the projection engages said second part tolock the parts together in a closed position of the container, and adisengaged position allowing opening of the container, a latch mechanismfor latching the lock slide in the engaged position, which can beactuated by means of a special tool to unlatch the lock slide and allowdisplacement thereof to the disengaged position, and an element forwireless activation of an alarm if the anti-theft device is carriedthrough an exit of the shop or the department store.

2. Description of the Prior Art

An anti-theft device of this kind is disclosed in EP 0 616 103 B1wherein the container comprises a lower-part and a lid, projections onthe lock slide and the lid inter-engaging in the closed position of thecontainer. The lock slide is mounted in the lower-part for displacementalong a partition therein. In the engaged position the lock slide islatched to the partition by means of spring blades on the partitionwhich engage the lock slide and can be disengaged by the spring bladesbeing actuated mechanically or magnetically in order to allowdisplacement of the lock slide to the disengaged position when thecontainer is to be opened.

This prior art anti-theft device does not provide a satisfactoryprotection against theft of the objects displayed in the containerbecause it can be opened too easily by means of a tool inserted betweenthe lower-part and the lid the projections being broken off when thelower-part and the lid are separated by means of the tool.

EP 0 731 870 B1 describes an anti-theft device wherein the lock slide isprovided with lock bolts which are brought into and out of engagementwith the box by means of the lock slide which is operated by means of anoperating slide parallel with the lock slide. The operating slide can bedisplaced back and forth manually and is operatively connected with thelock slide in such a way that the displacement of the operating slide isconverted into a displacement of the lock slide in the transversedirection of the displacement of the operating slide. The lock slide islatched in the locking position by means of a latch mechanism describedin EP 0581 811 B1. The housing thereof is available on the outside ofthe anti-theft device and forms a finger grip for the manualdisplacement of the operating slide between engaged and disengagedposition.

The anti-theft device disclosed in EP 0 731 870 B1 is of a complicatedconstruction as the lock mechanism thereof includes two slides, a lockslide and an operating slide, operatively interconnected.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the priorart anti-theft devices described above.

For this purpose the invention provides an anti-theft device of the kindreferred to herein which according to claim 1 is characterized in that aflange on said second part-forms at least one L-shaped slot a first limbthereof opening in a free edge of the flange to receive the projectiontherein at closing of the container with the lock slide in thedisengaged position, and a second limb extending transversely of saidfirst limb and receiving the projection when the lock slide is displacedto the engaged position.

Further features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Illustrative embodiments of the anti-theft device will be described withreference to the accompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a first embodiment of the device,

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view along line III—III in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view along line IV—IV in FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view along line V—V in FIG. 2,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of a plate forming a spring tongue,

FIG. 7 is a central longitudinal cross-sectional view of the plate inFIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side view of the lower portion of one of theparts forming the container, as seen from the inside of said part,

FIG. 9 is a view, corresponding to FIG. 8 of the other part of thecontainer,

FIG. 10 is a view, corresponding to FIGS. 8 and 9 with the two parts ofthe container hingedly interconnected and shown in an open position,

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary side view of the lower portion of the closedcontainer, as seen from the outside thereof, a hanger to be attached tothe container being shown in side view, separated from the container,

FIG. 12 is a view as that in FIG. 11 with the hook attached to thecontainer,

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary transverse cross sectional view of the lowerpart of the container showing the attachment of the hanger,

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary cross sectional view as that in FIG. 3 of thetop portion of a second embodiment of the device shown in the lockedposition, and

FIG. 15 is a view corresponding to that in FIG. 14 of the device in theunlocked position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The anti-theft device shown in FIGS. 1 to 14 of the drawing comprises aparallelepipedic container for receiving the object or objects to beprotected against theft, which is formed by a box 10 and a lid 11. Thebox has an upper end wall 12 with a flat outside surface 13 and a flatinside surface 14 the surfaces being parallel with each other. Lid 11 isconnected with the box by a hinge to be described in more detail below,for swinging movement as indicated by a double arrow in FIG. 4, betweenopen and closed position. The lid forms a side wall of the container inthe closed position thereof. The box and the lid preferably areinjection molded of suitable rigid and strong plastics preferablytransparent plastics.

A lock mechanism for locking the lid in the closed position includes aflat lock slide 15 which can be displaced longitudinally along surface14 between a left end position and a right end position. Suchdisplacement is effected manually by means of an outside finger-grip 16which is located on surface 13 and is connected with the lock slide 15by means of a pin 17 extending through end wall 12 the pin beingdisplaceably received in a longitudinal slot 18 in end wall.

Lock slide 15 forms a unit together with a flat rail 19 which extendsalong the lock slide and is connected therewith by three pins 20mutually spaced, a space 21 being provided between the lock slide andthe rail.

Lid 11 forms a flange 22 projecting at right angles from the insidesurface of the lid at the upper end thereof. The flange is dimensionedto be received in space 21 provided between lock slide 15 and rail 19,and forms three L-shaped slots, FIG. 5, having a limb 23A at right angleto the free edge of the flange and opening at said edge, and a limb 23Bat right angle to limb 23A and extending longitudinally of the flange.Limbs 23A are mutually spaced and the spacing thereof is the same as thespacing of pins 20.

With the lock slide and thus the rail in the left end position pins 20are in register with limbs 23A, and when the lid is being closed and theflange is being received in space 21, pins 20 will be received in limbs23A. By displacement of the lock slide to the right end position thepins will be displaced along limbs 23B to the position shown in FIG. 5.With pins 20 in this position flange 22 is caught between the lock slideand the rail with the container closed, in order to release the lid thelock slide with the rail has to be displaced to the left end position sothat the pins are located in register with limbs 23A and flange 22 canbe withdrawn from the space between the lock slide and the rail atopening of the container.

In order to securely lock lid 14 in the closed position the devicecomprises a latch mechanism for latching the lock slide in the right endposition. The latch mechanism is of the type disclosed in WO-A-00/75469and comprises two U-shaped shallow depressions 24 in surface 14 saiddepressions being mutually spaced in the longitudinal direction of endwall 12. A plate 25 of spring steel has a centrally punched tongue 26which is directed obliquely downwards from the plate, the plate beingU-shaped with a web from which the tongue extends, and two limbs one ateach side of the tongue. The shape of plate 25 is in agreement with theshape of depression 24, and in each of these depressions such a plate isloosely placed with tongue 26 directed from surface 14 towards the lockslide 15. Tongue 26 of each of the plates has the free end thereof in arecess 27 in the upper surface of the lock slide. When the lock slide isin the right end position the tongue engages at the free end thereof ashoulder 28 formed by the recess. The tongues as a consequence thereofprevent displacement of the slide to the left as seen in FIG. 3 to thedisengaged position. Plates 25 shall be of a spring steel which can beattracted by magnets—permanent magnets or electromagnets—being movedexternally towards the outside surface 13 of end wall 12 in registerwith tongues 26. When the tongues are attracted by the magnets they willbe bent upwards against the bottom of the associated depression 24 sothat the tongue will be disengaged from shoulder 28 and lock slide 15will be free for manual displacement to the left end position allowingopening of the lid.

The hinge connection between the box 10 and the lid 11 will be describedin more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 8 to 10. One of said twoparts forming the container of the anti-theft device of the invention—inthe embodiment shown lid 11—forms four mutually spaced sockets 29, andthe other part—box 10—forms three mutually spaced sockets 30. Thesockets are located such that sockets 30 are received in the spacesbetween sockets 29. The sockets are aligned, and a pin 31 is passedthrough the sockets and is locked in this position by a perpendicularlyangled end portion 32 which by rotation of the pin has been locatedinside the lid abutting an edge wall thereof as shown in FIG. 10. Boxand lid can easily be separated at the hinge for example in order toreplace a box having a certain depth by a box having another depth,smaller or larger, in order to adapt the volume of the container to thesize of the goods to be displayed therein.

Sometimes it may be desired to expose goods enclosed in anti-theftdevices as described in a rack in which each anti-theft device issuspended from a projecting prong. In order to allow suspension of theanti-theft device it can be combined with a hanger 33 formed as a hookor an eye, FIGS. 11 to 13, which forms two forked projections 34. Thishanger is attached to exposed portions of pin 31 at the forkedprojections. Preferably this is done with the lid open, and then, whenthe lid is closed, the forked projections will be clamped between thebox and the lid providing a secure connection of the hanger to theanti-theft device.

In a modification of the embodiment described above rail 19 is dispensedwith, which does not make the device less effective. However, it ispreferred that the anti-theft device is provided with such a railbecause the lock mechanism is more sturdy if flange 22 in the closedcondition of the container is received in space 21 between lock slide 15and rail 19.

In the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 14 and 15 the box and the lid areinterconnected by a hinge e.g. of the type described above. The lockslide 15′ is made integral with a housing 35 which is mounted in anopening 36 in end wall 12 for displacement of the lock slide along theflat inside surface 14 of wall 12. The housing forms a finger grip formanual displacement of the slide and is open at the bottom thereof. Themounting of the slide can be made as described in EP 0 731 870 B1. Pins20 on the slide co-operate with L-shaped slots 23 in flange 22projecting from lid 11 as described above. However, the latch mechanismfor latching the lock slide in the engaged position differs from thatprovided in the embodiment first described. The latch mechanismprincipally is of the type described in EP 0581 811 B1 and comprises aspring tongue 37 mounted in the housing at one end 38 thereof. Thespring tongue is made of a material which can be attracted by a magnetand forms an angled flap 39 at the other end thereof. When the lockslide is in the engaged position the spring tongue engages at flap 39 anaperture 40 in flange 22 as shown in FIG. 15. The spring blade can bedisengaged from flange 22 by means of a magnet which attracts the springtongue so that flap 39 is withdrawn from aperture 40 and the lock slidecan be displaced for moving pins 20 from limbs 23B of the L-shaped slotsin flange 22 so that the pins are located in register with limbs 23A andthe lid can be opened, all in the same manner as described withreference to the first embodiment.

The anti-theft device should be provided with an element (not shownherein) for wireless actuation of an electronic alarm if the device iscarried through an exit of a shop or department store or a defined areatherein, as is well known in the art.

1. Anti-theft device for displaying goods in shops and departmentstores, comprising a container formed by a first part and a second parthinged together, a lock slide inside said first part, which includes atleast one projection and can be displaced manually between an engagedposition in which the projection engages said second part to lock theparts together in a closed position of the container, and a disengagedposition allowing opening of the container, a latch mechanism forlatching the lock slide in the engaged position, which can be actuatedby means of a special tool to unlatch the lock slide and allowdisplacement thereof to the disengaged position, and an element forwireless activation of an alarm if the anti-theft device is carriedthrough an exit of the shop or the department store, wherein said firstpart comprises a first plane surface and, perpendicular to said firstplane surface, an end wall at which said lock slide is displaceable in aplane parallel to said end wall, said second part comprises a secondplane surface, which in a closed position for the container is parallelto the first plane surface, and, perpendicular to said second planesurface, a flange which in a closed position for the container isarranged parallel to said lock slide, where said flange, forms at leastone L-shaped slot, a first limb of which is perpendicular to a free edgeof the flange and opens in said edge to receive the projection thereinat closing of the container with the lock slide in the disengagedposition, and a second limb of which extends transversely of said firstlimb to receive the projection when the lock slide is displaced to theengaged position.
 2. Anti-theft device according to claim 1 wherein thelock slide includes several projections and the flange (22) forms acorresponding number of L-shaped slots, said first limbs having the samespacing as the projections.
 3. The anti-theft device of claim 2 whereinthe projections connect a flat surface of the lock slide with a flatsurface of a rail extending along the lock slide, the flat surfacesbeing mutually spaced, and wherein the flange on said second part isreceived in the space between the flat surfaces when the container isclosed.
 4. Anti-theft device according to claim 1 wherein the latchmechanism comprises a spring tongue which is biased by spring action toengaged position but can be actuated to disengaged position byattraction to a magnet functioning as the special tool.
 5. Anti-theftdevice according to claim 4 wherein the spring tongue is integral with aplate received by a depression in an inside surface of the container,facing the lock slide.
 6. Anti-theft device according to claim 5 whereinthe lock slide forms a shoulder, the spring tongue engaging the shoulderin the engaged position of the latch mechanism.
 7. Anti-theft deviceaccording to claim 4 wherein the spring tongue is fixedly attached atone end thereof and forms an angled flap at the other end which in theengaged position of the latch mechanism engages an aperture in theflange.
 8. Anti-theft device according to claim 7 wherein the springtongue is enclosed by a housing connected with the lock slide andprojecting from said first part of the container to form a finger-gripavailable on the outside of the container for manual displacement of thelock slide.
 9. Anti-theft device according to claim 1 wherein a hingeinterconnecting said first and second parts of the container comprises apin and sockets on said parts, receiving the pin which can be withdrawnfrom the sockets to separate the parts for exchange of one or the otherof the parts.
 10. Anti-theft device according to claim 9 wherein ahanger for suspension of the anti-theft device in a rack forms forkedprojections which are engaged with exposed portions of the pin. 11.Anti-theft device for displaying goods in shops and department stores,comprising a container formed by a first part and a second part hingedtogether; a lock slide inside said first part, which lock slide includesat least one projection; a flange extending from an edge of said secondpart, said flange forming at least one L-shaped slot; where said lockslide is manually displaceable between an engaged position in which saidprojection engages said L-shaped slot to lock the parts together in aclosed position of the container, and a disengaged position allowingopening of the container; and a latch mechanism (26, 37) for latchingthe lock slide in the engaged position, wherein said first partcomprises a first plane surface and an end wall perpendicular to saidfirst plane surface, at which end wall said lock slide is displaceablein a plane parallel to said end wall, where said second part comprises asecond plane surface, which in a closed position for the container isparallel to the first plane surface, and wherein said flange extendsperpendicular to said second plane surface and is arranged parallel tosaid lock slide in said closed position for the container.